Recommendation
It is recommended that the Board;
1. Note that response rates for Māori and Pasifika are significantly lagging compared to the
national response rate
2. Note that Māori and Pasifika are a critical priority response group for whom we have less
comprehensive administrative data (and therefore Census responses are vital)
3. Note the opportunities and risks of this proposal
4. Approve the use of vouchers for up to $40 (per completion) in value, as a form of
manaakitanga to be used at planned and pop-up col ection events
5. Approve the total budget of $1m (to be funded from the koha budget recently confirmed as
part of the NRFU extension by Cabinet)
6. Note that this proposal wil also sit alongside all other activity that is currently underway and
planned, to increase the response rate across the board, and especially for Māori and Pasifika
(such as Whānau Ora Commissioning Agency, Te Mana Whakatipu, Te Ahu Kauawhi, Hīkina,
and low response plan for Pasifika)
under the Official Information Act 1982
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What’s the proposal?
• We are seeking Board approval to formalise the guardrails for 2023 Census showing
manaakitanga through vouchers for census completions of up to $40 per completion
(or
another amount to be specified).
• Vouchers wil likely be supermarket or similar (e.g. PaknSave, local produce shop, butcher – not
alcohol or cigarettes). Where possible, vouchers wil align with the location of the ACE / pop-up
event (e.g. Foodstuffs vs Countdown) or reflect an existing arrangement between partners.
• The vouchers can be gifted out by Census staff directly to respondents, or via our operational
partners to issue as they col ect responses, at pop-up or planned Census events – such as ACE
events, larger employers, MSD and Community Probation activities.
• We would
not routinely distribute vouchers via NRFU doorstep visits (to ensure the HSW of
col ections staff and provide necessary support around the distribution of vouchers).
• The vouchers reflect reciprocity to respondents for their effort and time to complete the census
(e.g. no census forms, no voucher).
• Regardless of the decision on this proposal, we wil continue to provide manaakitanga through
kai, randomised small give aways, and merchandise.
• No vouchers would be retrospectively gifted.
• Vouchers provided at discretion of census field staff – not be racially profiled (e.g. available
under the Official Information Act 1982
regardless of ethnicity of respondent).
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When and how would we do this?
• If supported, it is recommended that this proposal is utilised only in the final 14 days of the
field col ection phase (from Thursday 20 April to 3 May for most of country; and two weeks
prior to 1 June for Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay).
• The proposal wil be funded from the $1m koha budget within the $36m recently funded by
Cabinet to extend the census operation.
• This would provide for a maximum of 25,000 vouchers / responses (for context, al ACE events
to date have generated about 25k responses).
• Once the vouchers are exhausted the proposal wil cease (minimum 10% wil be retained for
Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay).
• A record of events where vouchers are distributed wil be maintained, including the number
distributed and the number of responses.
• To protect the safety and wel being of census staff, vouchers wil be provided at large events
only – where there are larger number of census staff present (rather than individuals holding a
large value of vouchers on the doorstep with respondents).
• This proposal wil sit outside, but broadly aligned (although not in value) with the proposal
from Whanau Ora Commissioning agency via Te Whānau o Waipareira).
under the Official Information Act 1982
• Te Mana Whakatipu are not explicitly included in the proposal - it wil be at their discretion if
they wish to do the similar.
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Opportunities and Risks
Opportunities:
• Increased response rates in areas of low social economic status, which wil in turn
proportionally increase Māori and Pasifika responses - through incentivising completion of
Census forms
• Addresses inequity in access and affordability in areas of high social deprivation (such as
Northland, South Auckland, Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay)
• Demonstration of our manaakitanga through small provision of monetary support to New
Zealanders
• Alignment with other recent Govt initiatives, including Covid vaccination approaches and our
approach for other social surveys
• Consistent with the approach proposed to be taken by the Whānau Ora Commissioning Agency
with the Auckland col ections approach
Risks:
• May inadvertently create fairness issues or perception of un-equal treatment (vs equity)
• May create further expectations of incentive for next Census (although noting that incentives
under the Official Information Act 1982
already provided for other social surveys)
• May present operation or perception challenges in terms of what the vouchers are used for
• May create operational challenges in terms of duplication responses
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